A CELEBRATION ceremony has been held for local engineering apprentices, both for those graduating and to recognise the Apprentices of the Year.

More than 120 guests attended Derwent Training Association’s (DTA)awards and graduation ceremony to celebrate the success of all apprentices during 2017 and 2018 earlier this month.

The Malton-based training provider said it was honoured to welcome the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of North Yorkshire David Kerfoot to present some of the 40 graduates with their certificates and to congratulate them on successfully completing their engineering apprenticeships - as well as awarding 20 apprentices with their Apprentice of the Year awards.

John Brockett, general manager of DTA, said of the 2018 ceremony: “Our graduation and Apprentice of the Year Awards recognise the success of our apprentices over the last year.

“Each apprentice who has completed their apprenticeship should be justifiably proud of their achievement, which in my opinion is the equal to completing a degree.

“After all, they will have been undertaking training both at DTA and in their workplace for about four years, and everything will be useful to a career in engineering.

“Very often university graduates find it difficult to find a career relating to their degree.

“Those apprentices who are either Apprentice of the Year or highly commended have been judged by the training staff to have produced outstanding work over the last year and this should stand them in good stand for the remainder of their apprenticeship.

“Congratulations to all the winners; continue with the great work.’’

A DTA spokesman added: “All at DTA would like to congratulate all apprentices for not only being nominated for these awards and graduating their apprenticeship but to those who are working hard towards their careers and working alongside a great engineering industry in Yorkshire.”

Derwent Training Association are now recruiting for the next generation of engineers. To find out more about the organisation and about applying for an apprenticeship, visit derwenttraining.co.uk